


A Soulmate's Vision

by R_E_R6



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sad!Eddie, Soulmates, Visions, Visions in dreams, insecure!eddie, oblivious!buck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22344889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_E_R6/pseuds/R_E_R6
Summary: Eddie feels the pull to consciousness gradually at first, then all at once. The vision bursts through his mind, contorting his face in pain as he sees himself, hearing his own words as his soulmate had heard them and realising what this means.“What’s your problem, man?”Soulmate visions allow a glimpse into the life of your soulmate, showing snippets of the previous day from their perspective. When Buck and Eddie meet and the visions stop, it takes them a little while to find each other.Angst with a happy ending
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 62
Kudos: 380





	1. Eddie's Awakening

Eddie feels the pull to consciousness gradually at first, then all at once. The vision bursts through his mind, contorting his face in pain as he sees himself, hearing his own words as his soulmate had heard them and realising what this means.

“What’s your problem, man?” 

He remembers the moment well, can read his own fed up expressions easily as he observes himself through different eyes. Yesterday morning he’d been baffled by the unfair treatment as it had played out, wondering what he could have possibly done to warrant the hostility from the other man in the few short hours he’d been at the one-eighteen. Now he wonders if the younger man had recognised him, had somehow know who he was. He wondered if the harsh words and cold shoulder were a sign of rejection.

“Okay you,” He hears the voice clearly now, in a way he’d never been able to before. The scene feels unusually distant, despite feeling the vibration of the words in his throat as they fall from his lips. No, not his lips, Buck’s lips. Because these are Buck’s words, and these are Buck’s eyes and the knowledge pains him almost as much as the next words that rumble through his consciousness in his soulmate’s voice,

“You’re my problem”

Eddie’s soulmate visions have been frequent and vivid since they started, his mind playing through every detail and absorbing the information so he has a better chance of picking out his soulmate when he finally meets them. However the vision becomes hazy now as a stampede of questions charge through Eddie’s mind, kicking and trampling over his hopes. His relationship with Shannon had never felt quite right. They’d never felt like they were meant to be, but who were they to argue against fate? They’d gotten married as soulmate do and Shannon had gotten pregnant soon after, the two of them waiting for a romance that never developed between them. The situation only began making sense to them once Christopher was born, each shocked awake a month later to new visions. They had both been relieved at the notion. They had each hoped that their second soulmate meeting would be better, that they would lead to the spectacular love that they hadn’t been able to find in each other. Now though, Eddie doesn’t know what to think. 

Buck’s voice continues, rambling about comfort levels whilst his own face can be seen contorting in frustration as he tries to find common ground. Of course Eddie had come in with a certain level of comfort, he knew the job. Hell, he knew the station, the people. He’d seen them all through Buck’s eyes vividly and had been elated when he recognised the captain urging him to join his firehouse. His soulmate’s firehouse. He’d taken the position at the one-eighteen eagerly when it had been offered, after all his new career was encouraged by his soulmate visions and the little snippets he’d got of the place. How could not take the offer when it means meeting the man he’s meant to be with?

Eddie jolts upright, eyes opening as he gasps from the intensity of the dream. As his heart rate slows, dread weighs heavy, dragging him back to his pillow as he buries himself back into the blankets with a groan. He wants nothing more than to sink back to sleep and avoid overthinking but he knows he can’t. It’s only his second day on the job and he has to be at work in two hours. Work with his soulmate. Eddie tries to shake of the dread, attempting to find comfort in the companionship they had begun to build by the end of his shift. His mind has other ideas. For every minuscule shred of hope Eddie manages to find in the positive moments, there’s a louder part of his mind telling him that Buck isn’t going to want him. 

Eddie walks into the firehouse unsure what to expect, but it wasn’t this. As the minutes ticked by into the shift Eddie became more sure that Buck was completely oblivious to their situation. His greeting was warmer than yesterday, but no more affectionate that their goodbye the day before. There was no awkward conversations, no rejections,no reaction at all. Eddie tried not to let it get to him. Just because his vision that morning had made it abundantly clear who his soulmate was doesn’t mean Buck’s had. Eddie was partly disappointed, but mostly relieved by the opportunity. If Buck hasn’t realised that he’s met his soulmate then that mean Eddie still has a chance. He can get to know him, win him over. He can lay a more solid foundation for their relationship that the rocky exchange he’d re-lived that morning. He’ll fix Buck’s opinion of him and then tomorrow, when Buck wakes up to no vision and realises that it’s because they’ve already met, they’ll be in a better position to move forward with a relationship.

Eddie’s plan doesn’t pan out. The next day Eddie wakes slowly, his mind drifting into consciousness. He feels strange as he looks around his bedroom and is confused as to why before realising he’s woken up to no soul vision for the first time in seven years. It’s unsettling in a way he hadn’t expected. He always thought the first time would be more exciting, opening his eyes to the light of day and knowing in his heart he’s met the person he’s meant to spend the rest of his life with. Instead he’s left feeling unsure as he stares blankly at the clouds through his window. He knows Buck will have woken up much the same way, no soulmate visions playing out now that they’ve met. He’s nervous for the reaction though. All the fear and dread he’d pushed down yesterday resurfacing with a vengeance and collapsing onto his chest. 

“Morning dad” Eddie fights off the negativity once again, allowing a smile to take over his face as he turns to Christopher standing in the doorway. His son’s eyes are still droopy with sleep and his hair is a mess, much like Eddie imagines is the case for his own hair. The sight never fails to cheer Eddie up. 

“Morning, do you want pancakes?” He asks, his heart warming in anticipation of Christopher’s reaction even before the grin begins stretching across the boy’s face. His son’s enthusiastic nod is all it takes to have him clambering out of bed and facing the day. He checks his phone and sees no messages from Buck yet, it’s too early to let himself worry though. It’s only seven thirty and Buck could easily still be asleep. Could still be unaware of their connection. He takes it with him to the kitchen anyway, not wanting to miss it when Buck wakes up and contacts him.

Eddie spends the entire day checking his phone religiously. Every time it goes off his heart jumps in nervous excitement, but it’s never Buck. Same goes for the next day. The third day Eddie wakes up and misses the visions. The visions meant he still had love out there waiting, now all he has is hopelessness. Still no contact from Buck. He gets dressed on autopilot, waking up Christopher just in time to get him dressed and dropped off to his Abuela’s before his shift. He drives towards the one-eighteen gripping the steering wheel tightly, trying to cling to the last dregs of hope sitting stagnant in the dark crevices of his heart. 

Buck isn’t there when Eddie arrives, something Hen and Chimney remark is unusual. Bobby’s eyes flit between the stove and the entrance, brow creased in worry as the minutes tick into their shift and Buck still hasn’t arrived. The rest of the team are already changed and sitting around the table waiting for breakfast but the usual chatter is replaced with a heavy silence, Eddie’s weighing more than the rest. Eight minutes into their shift and Bobby turns to Hen, asking her to watch over the cooking food so he can call their absentee and see what’s going on.

Bobby makes it halfway down the stairs before calling out “There you are, where have you been? You’re not usually late”

“Sorry Bobby, you wouldn’t believe the crazy morning I’ve had” Eddie’s heart skips into his throat at Buck’s words. Maybe this is it. Maybe Buck only just realised that Eddie is the reason his soulmate visions have stopped. The thought floats above around his head before enveloping him completely when Buck says “Ia Eddie around? I need to talk to him quick and then I’ll explain everything”. Eddie waits with bated breath as Eddie ascends the stairs and asks for Buck to meet him in the locker rooms before swiftly returning the the ground floor and disappearing out of sight.

Hen and Chimney observe the exchange with scrunched eyebrows, confused at Buck’s erratic behaviour. Eddie tries not to become a recipient of their scrutiny as he settles his coffee cup, still full, onto the table and slowly descends to find Buck. 

“Hey man, you speak Spanish right?”

The question throws Eddie off. He never would have predicted that to be the starting point of their conversation. He opens his mouth to answer, a simple yes all that’s needed ad yet it takes him a few seconds to work the word out. 

“Yeah, I’m half Mexican”

Buck turns grinning at Eddie as he pulls off his shirt and continues talking. Buck tries to listen even as an alarm goes off in his mind at the sight of Buck stripping in front of him.

“Great, I know a little from my bar-tending days but I’m nowhere near fluent. Do you think you could help me with a text?” 

Despite his best efforts to stay focused on the question Eddie is still pulled in my the distraction, his eyes wandering across Buck’s muscled back as he reaches for his LAFD shirt. He’s so busy ogling Buck that he almost missed the end of the sentence, taking a moment why Buck is staring at him with his eyebrows raised.

“A text?” Eddie repeats dumbly, wondering where this could possibly be going. Does Buck still not realise they’re soulmates?

“Yeah, I think I found my soulmate” 

Buck states it casually, his relaxed demeanour and cheerful quirk of the lips a stark contrast to the raging tsunami wrecking Eddie’s brain at the word. He thinks he found his soulmate and wants to send a text. He thinks his soulmate is someone else. He has to, why would he get Eddie to message himself? Panic surges through his body, knotting in his throat and making his next question choked.

“You did?” 

Buck eyes him in concern for a second, before the bright smile returns and he’s reaching for his phone from his pocket. “Sort of” Buck says, finger tapping over the keys “I have it narrowed down to three girls and one of them doesn’t speak English so I need your help”

Eddie’s heart plummets into his feet, holding him frozen in place as Buck continues explaining to Eddie’s deaf ears. It hurts, Eddie can’t pretend it doesn’t. He wants to throw Buck’s phone against a wall the crowd the other an into the lockers, channelling all his raging jealousy into kissing Buck breathless. He’s frozen in place. He doesn’t move. He’s too conflicted to do anything. So, as Buck hands him his phone and explains what he wants to say, Eddie starts typing out a message to help Buck find out if ‘Angelina’ is his soulmate. He doesn’t know what to say that could fix this. He doesn’t know how to find the words to tell Buck the truth when Buck is only considering women, had only ever been with women in Eddie’s visions. Eddie just goes with it, deciding to take more time to think it over. None of these women are Buck’s soulmate, letting Buck look isn’t going to hurt anyone. It’ll just be for a little while, a few days at most. Eddie just needs time to figure out what to do.


	2. Buck's Realisation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck realises he's met his soulmate...he just can't figure out who. He's very stressed about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two!!!!! Hope you enjoy
> 
> Feel free to let me know if you find any mistakes.

It’s the third morning since Buck woke up to the staggering realisation that his soulmate visions had stopped for good. He knows what it means, had come to the conclusion immediately. With his extensive research into the soulmate visions he had no doubt about the reason for this sudden change. He’d found his soulmate.

Buck was no stranger to infrequent visions. While a lot of people believed they were an everyday occurrence, Buck knows it’s not unusual for their frequency to vary. He hadn’t known when he was thirteen and first receiving his visions. 

He’d started off with three in a row before waking in a panic on day four when his mind had shifted straight into consciousness, without drifting into the liminal space between his soulmate’s subconscious and his own. Thankfully Maddie had been one of those more informed about soulmates, she herself also having infrequent visions. She had helped Buck immensely through his fluctuating anxiety, assuring him that it was normal and that he wasn’t doomed to lose his soulmate before meeting. She had answered what she could and he had researched the rest, thus starting his foray into sleepless nights of extensive information gathering. 

Some people go as long as a week between visions, Maddie had told him hers always occurred six days apart without fail. One rare case he read even documented a woman who only had two soulmate visions a month; never with a consistent period of time between the two and never two days in a row. Her soulmate, on the other hand, was an even more rare phenomenon. Most days he had a second vision as he was drifting into unconsciousness, in addition to the usual daily visions upon waking. Buck had been fascinated learning about all the different ways the soulmate visions present in different people and looked up these unusual cases often. 

All this had Buck reassured that his visions weren’t odd or unnatural, he wasn’t broken. He came to terms with his soulmate visions quickly, documenting them religiously to try and find a pattern but never succeeding. The only thing he could conclude about them was that the frequency was innately random, however never more than three days apart. So Buck was accustomed to going up to three days without visions and no longer became worried when a morning passed and he woke straight from a distant dream or heavy sleep. He knew how his visions worked, he knew the next would always occur within three days. Except this time it hadn’t.

That day Buck had woken shocked and confused. He should have had a vision, had never gone so long without one. His heart was pounding, his mind swimming with images he’d witnessed before; they were visions he’d had before, but they didn’t feel the same. They felt more like remnants of sleep, of memories reminisced in the unconscious mind. They weren’t visions, they were dreams, he's sure they are dreams. Visions never repeat themselves, and they never feel so hazy in the deep tresses of his mind. 

No, his soulmate visions had always been clear and silent; he’d always been unable to hear the voices even as he feels the words leave his soulmate’s mouth, feels the lips move, sees the responses. This too wasn’t unusual, Buck knew. Some people hear voices in their visions, never recognisable until they meet the owner and then all of a sudden it’s like the voice had been obvious all along. Buck though, had never had voices, just muted snippets. So why could he hear a woman in his dreams? The spanish words were heard as clear as day in his mind despite not understanding their meaning. He’d had the same scene play out in a vision three days prior and as usual there had been no sound. So why was he dreaming it now and hearing her voice?

Buck’s eyes had gone from squinting against the bright light streaming through the curtains he’d forgotten to close, to suddenly staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as he collapsed against his mattress. The daunting realisation had hit him harder than he’d even imagined, clouded by the harsh reality he had never considered in all his years of researching and documenting to reassure himself that he would find his perfect match. He’d found his soulmate. He’d found his soulmate at some point in the previous three days and had no idea who it was. 

Two days tick by since that moment, Buck becoming more disheartened with each passing hour. He had tried going through every moment in his head, every call, every person he’s met. At first he’d narrowed it down to three women he’d encountered briefly, believing each could be a potential match. 

The first he’d met on his morning coffee run on the day of his last vision as he’d been heading in for his shift. She had a tattoo of a spanish quote along the length of her forearm and was ordering a hot chocolate for her child in the booth. He hadn’t looked at the kid at the time and had kicked himself for not doing so when he first realised she was a possible soulmate. It hadn’t panned out, however. She was extremely understanding of his random questioning when he’d waited for her at the same coffee shop the next day. She spoke softly, compassionate as she told him she only had a daughter, not a son, and had assured him her visions were still ongoing. She wasn’t his soulmate but she did offer kind words of faith as she wished him luck in his search. 

The second he’d met later that same day at work. She had been trapped in her car after a malfunction in the traffic lights had caused a side-on collision between her car and another vehicle. Thankfully it was a quiet road and it hadn’t escalated to a pile-up. She had been visiting from Argentina and didn't speak English but he thought he’d heard her and Eddie briefly discussing a child when trying to calm her down. He’d had to pull in a lot of favours to get her name from the reports and prayed that she would understand his reasons. Much like the other woman she had been understanding, people generally are when it comes to soulmates as long as you make it clear and aren’t creepy in your approach. However, when she finally replied to the text Eddie had helped him compose it had been with the knowledge that she already had her soulmate and they were yet to have kids. He thanked her for her time, his Spanish knowledge extending to the simple phrase, and sighed as he ruled her out.

The third he had ran into the day after the last vision, she’d been trying to no avail to gain the attention of a worker at the grocery store to ask for recommendations on healthy snacks for kids. Buck had offered his help, he himself having researched healthy snacks extensively when he’d started taking his health more seriously during college. It wasn’t his usual store, just a small one he’d popped into as he’d detoured on his run the evening before his realisation. Buck had no knowledge of her other than her first name, Jessica, and the brief mention that her mother was from Colombia. He had no way to contact her, which filled him with more anxiety with each passing day. He’d been back to the small grocery store each day since then but no one could give him any insight as to who she was or how he might be able to contact her.

Buck was getting sick of repeating his predicament. Having to constantly explain his heartache during his quest to find his soulmate was weighing him down, the heavy feeling in his heart intensifying with each dead end. 

It all became too much, deflating his hope until he found himself at Bobby and Athena’s dining table with his head in his hands as he desperately sought advice on how to find her. Bobby had suggested that maybe she wasn’t the right person, that the person he is meant to be with would not be placed in his life so briefly and taken away with no trace. Buck had conceded when Athena had begun throwing in statistics. 

They were right, his soulmate shouldn’t be this hard to find after meeting. It did nothing to ease his insecurity though, if it wasn’t her who could it be? He can’t think of any other Spanish-speaking women he’s met who may have a son. 

It was actually May who had made him consider men. She’d overheard him complaining and asked how he was so sure it was a woman he’s meant to be with. Athena had waved her off, narrowed her eyes at her daughter for eavesdropping but Buck had answered anyway. His story had already been told to half the people he’d bumped into whilst searching so he may as well share a few more details.

“After my visions stopped I had a dream. It was like my visions but it wasn’t” Buck nervously looked away from the three encouraging faces, “It was like a flashback of my last vision but I could hear a woman’s voice speaking in Spanish. She must have been saying something to the kid I always see, my soulmate’s kid, because he nodded and then stepped forward and hugged me. Well, hugged her, my soulmate”

His explanation was met with a silence more deafening than the raging thunder of thoughts he’d experienced in the past few days. He looked up and scanned the mix of expressions before May blurted, “Are you sure it was your soulmate speaking? Was there anyone else there?”

“I-” Buck cuts himself off and sits stunned, his silence seeming to be all the answer they needed as Bobby pulled his chair closer to Buck’s and placed a hand on his shoulder, fingers curling in a comforting grip. 

“Buck,” Athena starts, pulling him from his drifting thoughts “You said that the boy was hugging your soulmate, like saying goodbye?”

“Yeah I’d say so. It was a different house. I’ve only seen it in visions in the past few months, I think they moved. Here, apparently, a lot of good that did” Buck’s chuckle is self-deprecating. He still can’t believe that in all his research into the frequency of his visions he’d never considered that he wouldn’t immediately realise when he met his soulmate. He always imagined it to be a big moment, his heart doubling in size to compensate for the new soul it welcomed inside. He had never considered he'd feel this sense of soul-wrenching failure.

“So, your soulmate could have been dropping his kid off with someone, a female family member. It could be a Spanish guy, or maybe the woman is just a friend or nanny and your soulmate could be a woman or man that doesn’t even speak Spanish”

Buck doesn’t know how to react to that, his emotions battling in his brain and resulting in a blank-faced stare as his mind short-circuits, too frazzled as he tried to sort through all the emotions surging through. Relief at the knowledge there are more possibilities, as well as the hope which that brings forth. There’s plenty of confusion as he tries to process these new possibilities, wracking his brain for more potential matches. There’s also the overwhelming dread violently twisting his stomach at the thought of how many more rejections he's going to suffer through. The worst is the preemptive heartbreak as he imagines going through all these new options only to come up empty still. 

It takes all evening to ease Buck’s mind, the three of them calming him down and assuring him they will help him find answers. 

“The soulmate visions are there for a reason kiddo,” Athena repeats, for the third time that night, as they show him to the guest room “You’re meant to find them and you will, you just need to have faith”

“You’re not alone, Buck. We’re going to help you figure this out” Bobby affirms, before leaving him to sleep whilst he can, wanting Buck to get some rest while his mind was settled enough for tiredness to take over. 

His dreams that night are occupied by the same little boy he always sees. This time he’s laughing and Buck can’t be sure if the pure joy exuding from him at the sound belongs to him or his soulmate. It’s an older vision this time, from a few months ago right after the surroundings of his visions had changed. A change which Buck now assumes must have been because of their move to Los Angeles. 

_ “Come and push me, dad” The call comes from nearby and Buck sees his perspective changing as his soulmate’s eyes follow the sound. Buck sees the boy climbing into the seat of the swing and shuffling to adjust “I want to touch the sky”  _

_ The boy’s voice is clear as day, but the reply is muffled, recognisable as male only by the deep tones.  _

_ “Not too high Christopher, I don’t want you to fall”  _

_ The boy pouts protest, his eyebrows pulling together to show his disdain for the limitation. Buck shivers at the deep chuckle that flows through him, unsure if the joyous admiration he feels is his own or that of the body he’s occupying in the dream. _

_ “Mijo, if I send you up to the sky, who will look after me? We promised to look out for each other, remember?”  _

_ It’s sweet and seems to appease the boy who is smiling once again as the distance between him and his father shortens. Strong hands reach out and grasp the chains. They’re hands Buck hadn’t seen in the vision before yet they feel familiar as the scene continues. Buck watches transfixed as they pull on the swing, checking it will hold, before pushing the boy gently and increasing the height as the boy's ecstatic yells grow louder.  _

It’s now the third morning since he realised he had unknowingly met his soulmate and for the first time since, Buck has woken up smiling. He breezes into the kitchen feeling like he’s on cloud nine, a new hope blossoming between his shoulders and carrying the weight of the stress away. Everyone else is already up; Bobby and Athena are finishing preparing breakfast whilst May and Harry are sitting at the island, each already munching on the toast that had been put out. May’s back is to Buck and he can’t help wrapping his arms around her and squeezing as he lifts her off her barstool, the rest of the family turning as they hear her startled squealing and Buck’s own yelling.

“You were right!” He proclaims, spinning her in a circle while she realises it’s Buck and throws her head back laughing.

“What in the world?”

Buck sets may down, smiling sheepishly at Athena. They’re all looking at him for an explanation, visibly amused and curious about his rapid mood change from the previous night. 

“Sorry, I’m just excited. You guys were right!” His voice quiet now, but still slightly too loud in the hushed house.

“Not that I’m not happy to be right, Buckaroo, but what exactly are we right about?” Bobby’s question is met with raised eyebrows from the Grant women and a baffled look from Harry.

“It’s a guy” Buck states “I had another dream of a previous vision. With more details this time. I could see his hands and I could hear his voice slightly, it’s deep like a man’s voice. The ki-Christopher, his son’s name is Christopher. I heard Christopher call him dad. My soulmate’s a guy. I’m not a lost cause”

“You were never a lost cause Buck” Athena’s disapproval is clear but quickly dissipates as Buck surges forward and wraps her in a hug.

“I’ve just been searching for the wrong people Athena. I need to start over and figure out all the guys I’ve met” His excitement is radiating throughout the room, even Harry is grinning at him despite not being privy to the previous nights drama. 

Bobby doesn’t seem to have caught the atmosphere. His eyebrows are set in a frown, clearly contemplative with his eyes lifted to the ceiling. His fingers twitch one by one as he mouths whatever numbers are going through his head.

“Buck, when did you say you met your soulmate? How far back are we looking?”

“Somewhere between three days ago -when I realised the visions stopped- and the three days before that”

Bobby’s shoulders slump, biting his lip as he confirms “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I woke up three days ago and it was the third day with no dream. So it’s been six days since they stopped”

Bobby lets out dejected hum but begins plating up breakfast before Buck can ask what’s wrong. Buck forgets about it as normal conversation resumes around him, his mind swimming with plans of how to sort through his possible matches and contact them.


	3. The Vision Becomes Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big reveal. Warning, feelings ahead.

Buck’s heart races, breathing halting and all he can hear is the sound of his own blood thrashing around his eardrums. It’s Christopher,  _ his Christopher _ . He’d seen the boy countless times in his visions, watched him grow through his soulmate’s eyes. Through Eddie’s eyes. There his is, right there, on Eddie’s phone. Eddie, his soulmate who had just casually held out the picture to Buck, oblivious to how momentous the movement was to Buck. 

Eddie tells Buck his name and his age, and Buck has to bite his tongue from yelling back “I know! I watched you hold him in your arms the day he was born”. The timing couldn’t be worse. He has a job to do, he doesn’t need the distraction of all the new questions blowing through his mind at hurricane speeds. 

He’s rambling, he knows he is. His mouth spouting facts about school safety regulations and LAs earthquake procedure. He can’t stop. He feels as if his body doesn’t belong to him, like he’s checked out and is just watching from within as his body operates on autopilot. All he registers is his determination to reassure Eddie that Christopher is going to be okay. 

“We’re a few minutes out, everyone get ready”

Bobby’s voice is grounding in Buck’s ears, piercing through the noise. Buck wonders if it’s deliberate. His head whips, neck turning too quickly and pulling uncomfortable as he twists to get a glimpse of the older man. Bobby is facing the front, hands tight on the steering wheel. His eyes lift to the rearview mirror, briefly locking eyes with Buck and emploring him to stay calm. Bobby must know. He’d told them about his dream only that morning, he must have made the link between Christopher in his dream and Eddie’s son even without seeing the picture. 

He wonders if that’s what Bobby was thinking about this morning when he’d asked when he would have met his soulmate. He runs the numbers through his head and is confused when the numbers don’t add up. They have to add up. It all makes sense. 

“Shit, I’m an idiot” 

The last soulmate visions come  _ the day after  _ you meet your soulmate. He feels like such a fool as he realises his miscalculation. God, he should have realised the last vision was from the day he and Eddie met.

The team startle at Buck’s words, he rarely curses and they’re baffled by the sudden unexplained frustration.

“You okay there Buckaroo?” 

Buck nods to Hen, mind blanking as they look at him for an explanation before stuttering out his excuse, “I was just thinking of calling Maddie, but then I remembered she’s working today. Probably swamped with all this chaos”

“I’ll get a message to dispatch Buck” Buck knows Bobby is going along with his excuse and is extremely grateful for the backup “She’s safe, Buck. Just focus on the job for now, everything will be okay”

Buck understands the hidden meaning. Knows he needs to stop stressing and focus, that he can talk to Eddie later and work everything out. He tells himself that everything will work out. It has to, right? They’re soulmates. 

They pull up to the scene and Buck pushes everything to the back of his mind. He just has to get through this day. One shift, that’s all. He’s already seven days late on having his soulmate in his arms, he can handle one more. It’ll be worth the wait. It has to be.

  
  


Buck gets through the call with laser focus, refusing to let his mind run away toward anything but the job at hand. It helps that Eddie is there with him, working together seamlessly as they have tended to do since they removed the grenade together seven days ago. They power through, doing their best to save everyone they can and for the most part they succeed. It has as good an ending as they could have hoped for such a large-scale disaster. 

When the call is over and the team are back at the fire station, Buck’s mind zeroes in on Eddie once again. He can’t help but stare as the older man rushes around to get changed. A whole week of having this man in his life, how could he not realise sooner? 

Buck is too preoccupied with his thoughts to register Eddie’s behaviour as strange. He’s noticed the man is jittery but his rushed movements don’t trike Buck as odd, as they mirror the way Buck’s own pulse is racing. 

There’s a loud clatter across the locker room when Eddie’s bag topples from his locker, dragging several items out with it. 

“Woah Eddie, slow down. Where’s the fire?” Chim jokes as Buck rushes forward to help Eddie pick up his things.

“Really Chim? Fire puns?” is Hen’s unimpressed reply “Seriously though, what’s the rush Eddie? You look frazzled”

“I was supposed to pick up Christopher today and I didn’t tell my Abuela I was stuck late working so he’s still at the school”

“The school will understand, Eddie. Like Buck said earlier they have procedures in place for this kind of thing. I’m sure there are other kids whose parents have been caught up in the earthquake chaos” Hen’s voice is soothing, trying to encourage Eddie’s erratic movements to slow. 

“I know, it’s just going to take me ages to get there without my car and I don’t want him to be there all night because he’ll be tired and hun-”

“I’ll drive you”

The offer is easy for Buck and the words are out of his mouth before he has time to process them. It’s a selfish offer really. He wants to help Eddie and Christopher, of course, but it’s his own desperation to talk to Eddie that has him offering without a second thought. Buck isn’t sure he’ll have the courage to approach Eddie if he lets him go today without saying anything. Plus Buck’s heart pangs at the thought of Christopher sitting alone at school for any longer than he needs to. He’s grown attached to him over the years, seeing him grow up through Eddie’s eyes. 

Eddie had accepted easily, relief clear in the rapid change of his body language and the heavy sigh that drops from his mouth. Buck tries not to preen too hard as Eddie thanks him but isn’t so sure he’s successful. 

They get changed quickly, Buck making sure to keep his eyes off of Eddie as the other man strips. Just because they’re soulmates doesn’t mean he gets to ogle him without his permission. At least not until they’ve spoken about where they go from here. They walk side-by-side out of the building, Buck blushing as Bobby throws him a thumbs up and mouths “good luck” across the parking lot. 

“Can we talk?” 

Buck almost winces as the words leave his mouth. He’s still not sure he’s ready for the conversation despite the desperate need to get answers to the questions churning his stomach. He’s both eager and reluctant as he awaits Eddie’s reply. 

“Uh, yeah. You want to stay for dinner?”

If Buck weren’t so overcome with a thrilled anxiousness he may have noticed Eddie’s own nerves, but he’s too distracted. Eddie’s invite has him grinning, a breathless laugh leaving his lips in astonishment as he agrees. 

It’s easier than Buck expects after that. The impending conversation is forgotten as he gets lost in the domesticity of helping Eddie and Christopher make dinner. It’s a simple spaghetti dish but Christopher relishes in showing Buck how they make it. Buck doesn’t think he stops smiling once the whole evening and he’s sure he sees Eddie watching them fondly a few times, a soft smile on his own face. It’s reassuring to experience how well they all work together even in this minute way. His anxiety is quickly replaced with contentment as they spend their evening cooking and eating together, before settling together on the couch to watch a movie until Christopher can’t keep his eyes open any longer.

When Eddie gets back from putting Christopher to bed Buck is still basking in the calm the evening had bestowed upon him. The underlying tension is still there but he feels so right, so at home under Eddie’s roof. Being with Eddie and Christopher feels like everything he’d imagined on all those late nights obsessing over soulmates and for the first time in six days he feels the ever present soft spark of hope burning brightly in his heart once again, no longer being dimmed by his oppressive thoughts. 

When Eddie comes back into the room Buck’s eyes are drawn to him, watching his back as he moves through the dimly lit room and towards the kitchen.

“I’m grabbing a beer, you want one?”

“Uh-Yeah sure” Buck agrees, hoping the alcohol might sedate the butterflies that are beginning to multiply in his stomach now that he and Eddie are alone. Buck’s eyes are trained on the kitchen doorway as he waits for Eddie to reemerge. The house is silent but for the faint sounds of the fridge door and the rattle of bottle caps hitting the counter. The air is growing more and more stifling as the heavy anticipation once again begins to linger. Eddie is back in view after a few moments and Buck is unsure if Eddie is strutting in slow motion or if that’s just the haze of his mind playing tricks on him.

“So, you wanted to talk?”

Buck takes the offered drink, muttering a quiet thanks and putting off the question for a moment as he brings the bottle to his lips. He can feel Eddie’s eyes on him and his mind must be playing tricks because he almost thinks Eddie is staring at his mouth. He’s probably just projecting, afterall his own eyes had been drifting towards Eddie’s since they got here. 

“Buck?” Eddie prompts and Buck’s eyes snap to his, suddenly remembering he’s the one who asked for this conversation. Eddie’s watching him, confusion coating his questioning gaze as he awaits Buck’s reply. 

“Yeah, I uh. I wanted to tell you something,” Buck hedges “I  _ need _ to really. You should probably know, it involves you after all”. His chuckle is forced, almost strangled. Distracted by the time spent with the Diaz boys, he hadn’t had time to plan what he’s going to say and now his mind is blanking. He tries to think of any words he can remember in hopes they’ll string themselves together into something resembling a sentence. He internally curses his jumbled thoughts for making him look foolish in front of his soulmate as Eddie’s eyes grow concerned. 

“Buck. You can tell me anything, okay? We’re partners, I’ve got your back remember?”

“We’re more than just partners though, Eddie” 

The words rush out and Buck knows he needs to offer further explanation but he’s drowning in the fear of rejection that has been rapidly building over the last three days. Eddie is his soulmate, there’s no doubt. His heart tells him Eddie is perfect and he tries to grasp that feeling but his mind is conflicted, telling him that Eddie may not see Buck as perfect for him. He has Christopher to think about, what if he doesn’t think Buck is good enough? What if he’s disappointed?

“Do you know?” Eddie’s question is hesitant as if he’s afraid to ask despite its vague nature. Perhaps even because of it. Eddie’s narrowed eyes are guarded and calculating, but his mouth is twisted in curious anticipation. Buck’s shoulders tense as he understands the implication, eyes narrowing accusingly.

“Yeah, I know. Have you known this whole time?” The answer is written all over Eddie’s face and Buck shakes his head before his eyes fixate on the wall behind Eddie’s shoulder “You knew and you didn’t say anything?”. 

He hears the heavy accusation in his own tone and the flinch it causes but he can't bring himself to feel guilty. The bitterness is bubbling beneath the surface of his skin and he bites his lip roughly between his teeth to keep from yelling, mindful of Christopher asleep down the hall. 

“Buck, I-”

“You what, Eddie? What possible reason could you have to hide this from me? If you didn’t want to be together you should have just said rather than watching me dart around like an idiot agonising over finding my soulmate”. His voice is hoarse with emotions as he wills himself not to breakdown or scream.

“It’s not like that, I swear” Eddie reaches for Buck’s arm but he sees the move coming and instinct has him jerking away. 

“Well then explain it to me because from where I’m sitting I’ve spent the last three days in agony, thinking I missed my one true chance at happiness and meanwhile you’ve been watching from the sidelines with all the answers and no will to share”

The first tear falls slowly, then the rest follow in quick succession. His hand swipes at them viciously, angry at himself for allowing them to escape. He doesn’t notice Eddie’s arms pulling him close until his head is already pressed into the other man’s shoulder. He feels stupid for letting his emotions get the better of him. Being in Eddie’s arms is helping to quell his sadness despite their situation and it only intensifies how pathetic he feels. 

“Buck listen to me please, I swear I wasn’t trying to hurt you or pretend it wasn’t happening or whatever else you’re worried about. Trust me, I wanted to tell you. I just didn’t know how”

“I didn’t know how to tell you either,and yet I’m here trying only to find out you already knew. You’re telling me you couldn’t find an opportunity in the last six days to say anything? God, Eddie I thought I’d lost all hope of finding you” 

Buck’s reply is strained, though thankfully his tears have stopped falling despite the blur still coating his vision. Eddie’s hand rubs soothingly across his back when he hears Buck’s voice break around his name and it annoys Buck how easily he relaxes under Eddie’s hands.

“I know and I’m sorry. I let it go on for too long. I should have just found a way instead of letting my insecurities take over. I should have never put it off. Please forgive me”

Now that he’s relaxed a bit, Buck can hear the rasp in Eddie’s own voice. The comforting embrace feels more desperate than he’d originally thought, as if Eddie was scared he’d float away if he didn’t hold on tight enough. It should feel suffocating but instead he feels safe and he holds onto that feeling, vowing to try and understand Eddie’s side. 

“Insecurities? What do you mean?” Buck moves his head back enough to glance at Eddie’s face when he answers and sees the way Eddie’s head tilts down, his eyes closing with a regretful wince.

“Don’t worry about it, it doesn’t matter. Just know that I never wanted to hurt you. There’s nothing I want more than to be with you, Buck, only you. If you’ll still have me, that is” 

It’s never been in Buck’s nature to let things go unexplained, especially not so easily. As he ducks to catch Eddie’s eyes again he can feel the other man emploring him to do so, but he can’t gather the will. He can't shake the feeling he’s missing something vital and he needs to know.

“I can’t just not worry about you feeling like you couldn’t be honest with me. I want to understand okay? If you have a reason I want to hear it, Eddie, I want to understand your side in all this”

“Honestly, it’s stupid” Eddie pulls back to rub a hand over his face, skin stretching from the drag. He looks more tired than anyone should be after a three-minute conversation and Buck is even more determined to understand Eddie’s perspective. 

“When I figured it out I thought you would know too, but you didn’t say anything and I was disappointed. A part of me even thought you knew and just didn’t want me.”

“How could I not want you?” 

Eddie’s cheeks tinge pink but he otherwise ignores the comment and continues, “The vision didn’t help. I saw us arguing when I first got the station and you couldn’t stand the sight of me. I know we were in a good place by the end of shift but I was worried that our first meeting tainted your opinion. I thought that if you didn’t know we were soulmates, I had an opportunity to make a better impression before I told you, in case you didn’t believe me. I had so many different reasons and scenarios in my head about whether or not you knew and why you wouldn’t have said anything that I just wound up waiting to see if you realised”

Buck can’t help the twinge of guilt that spikes his gut as listens to Eddie’s own tails of inner turmoil. He feels bad for thinking the worst, he hadn’t pegged Eddie as insecure when they’d met and his opinion hadn’t changed in that respect until now. Now he can see the solemn agony as Eddie relays his fear and he can’t help but take Eddie’s hand in his own, squeezing reassuringly before urging him to continue.

“When you did realise, I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how to phrase it and then you spoke about your potential soulmates and asked me to help and I was hurt. I understand now that you mixed up the date but at the time-”

“You thought I didn’t consider you a possibility” Buck discerns, feeling the regret seep deeper into his bones as the extent of his mistake becomes clearer.   
“Pretty much. I told you it’s-”

“It’s not stupid Eddie. God, I’m sorry I got mad, I just- This whole situation is so messed up. I am so sorry you ever felt like you weren’t enough for me, or weren’t what I wanted. Damn, Eddie ever since I saw that picture of Christopher and knew it was you I just felt so  _ right. _ It was like the pieces finally fit and I could see my future right there in front of me, with you, both of you. You are all I could have ever hoped for. I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up”

Eddie’s lets out a single soft breath of laughter, the relief catching up with him. A stray tear rolled down his cheek, the last of his anxieties leaving with it until only his newfound glee remains. The light of their two grins warms them both as they fall into an embrace, each fitting comfortably against the other. 

“We’re so messed up” Eddie chuckles, chin hooking over Buck’s shoulder “Fate literally leads us to the perfect person and we still managed to make it hard on ourselves”

Buck presses his smile against Eddie’s neck as they hold each other close, then turns his face to place a soft kiss on Eddie’s cheek before speaking into his ear “Honest;y, I don’t know why I ever expected it to be easy. Now that I know Fate was leading me to someone as amazing as you I’m not surprised she made me work for it”

It has the desired effect and Eddie’s face is aflame at the compliment even as he scoffs and proclaims Buck to be cheesy. Buck hums, satisfied with Eddie’s reaction, before trailing kisses along Eddie’s jaw in a line to his mouth, relishing in the hitch in Eddie’s breath. 

“Buck” Eddie whispers his name like a prayer and Buck feels it travels through his body, heating him up from within.

“Yeah?” He knows what Eddie wants but he can’t help but tease; he enjoys the soft gasp he receives when his lips brush the corner of Eddie’s mouth, having pulled back from another soft kiss to utter the word.

“Are you going to make me wait longer or are you ever going to kiss me?” 

Buck pulls back to look into Eddie’s eyes, seeing the desire there and noting the way Eddie’s body is open towards him, welcoming him.

“I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”

Eddie doesn’t get to answer the question, just moans softly into Buck’s mouth as their lips finally connect. With it comes the feeling Buck has been longing for, the burning passion he always imagined he’d feel when meeting his soulmate for the first time. An immediate calm encompasses his entire being. It’s overpowering, overwhelming in the best possible way. The comfort consumes him in ways he hadn’t thought possible until this moment. It’s more freeing than he’d ever imagined. He’s more happy than he had ever hoped.

Things haven't worked out as planned but they have worked. They will continue to make it work. With their budding relationship, both gain a new perspective on life, love and family as they open their lives to each other and blend them together seamlessly. They don’t know what other surprises fate will throw at them but here, in each others arms, they know they will face them head-on together. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!!
> 
> I'm considering turning this into a series and writing different people's reactions to Eddie and Buck being soulmate's. Please let me know if this is something you'd be interested in.
> 
> As always feel free to let me know if you noticed any mistakes, I'm always happy to hear feedback and improve.


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